Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Yes, you are all very sharp and perceptive! It IS indeed a yellow-rumped warbler in fall plumage, taken last fall in southeastern Ohio. The bird was snagging insects on a warm morning from the railing of our deck.

I guess it was a bit of a curveball to show a fall warbler instead of a spring/breeding-plumage bird.

Hi...I bird at the Falls of the Ohio State Park across from my home in Louisville, KY. The yellow-rumped is our first to arrive and last to leave warbler. Like your gnatcatcher question, I wondered what these warblers were eating in advance of any insects or fruit. While watching a yellow-bellied sapsucker, I was surprised to see yellow-rump warblers sipping sap from a sweet gum tree that the woodpecker bore holes into. Have you seen this behavior as well? Spring migration seems to be arriving late this year. I enjoyed your site...kind regards...Al

What a fantastic photograph of the bird! I love the name yellow-rumped warbler, it is such a delicate and cheery looking bird. I have never seen one of these before, but they look delightful. Thanks for the stunning pictures!

I agree with Cindy this is a beautiful shot and a very beautiful bird :) I just took an animal behavior class and I love watching the behavior of birds. Just one of my favorite past times along with reading and treasure hunting!

About Bill

Bill of the Birds

Bill Thompson III is the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest by day. He's also a keen birder, the author of many books, a dad, a field trip leader, an ecotourism consultant, a guitar player, the host of the "This Birding Life" podcast, a regular speaker/performer on the birding festival circuit, a gentleman farmer, and a fungi to be around. His North American life list is somewhere between 673 and 675. His favorite bird is the red-headed woodpecker. His "spark bird" was a snowy owl. He has watched birds in 25 countries and 44 states. But his favorite place to watch birds is on the 80-acre farm he shares with his wife, artist/writer Julie Zickefoose. Some kind person once called Bill "The Pied Piper of Birding" and he has been trying to live up to that moniker ever since.